Am I a Candidate for Surgery?

In this Section

Weight loss surgery is major surgery, and it is not appropriate for
everyone who wants to lose weight. Candidates for weight loss surgery
include:

People with a body mass index (BMI)* of 40 or greater.
Click here
to calculate your BMI.

* BMI is a calculation
based on your weight and height.

People with a BMI of 35-40 who also have health problems
associated with obesity. These problems can include diabetes,
sleep apnea, hypertension, heart disease, and degenerative joint
disease.

Before being considered for weight loss surgery, you must be evaluated
by an experienced surgeon and be considered an appropriate candidate.
You also must have tried other weight loss methods, and be motivated and
committed to the overall bariatric
surgery process, which includes certain lifestyle changes.

Many insurance plans will pay for weight loss surgery and follow-up care
as long as the National Institutes of Health guidelines for body mass
index are used as qualifying criteria.

However, some insurance plans do have a weight loss surgery exclusion
clause that require several months of participation in the bariatric
program. Check with you insurance provider about your coverage. More
information can be viewed on the Insurance
Approval page.